Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 687,318, filed May 26, 1976 by Elena M. Bingham and William Joseph Middleton, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 597,502, filed July 21, 1975, now abandoned, discloses certain novel 3-fluorobenzodiazepines of the formula: ##STR1## where X is Cl, Br, NO.sub.2, or CF.sub.3 ;
Y is H, Cl, Br or F; PA1 B is O; or PA1 B and D together is .dbd.N--N.dbd.C(R')--
D is H, hydrocarbyl of 1-4 carbons, --CH.sub.2 CF.sub.3, --CONHR, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NR.sub.2, or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NR.sub.2.A, where R is alkyl of 1-4 carbons and A is a pharmaceutically suitable acid;
where R' is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl,
and the use of such compounds as tranquilizers, muscle relaxants and sedatives in mammals. In addition, Bingham and Middleton disclose a process for making such compounds by reaction of the corresponding 3-hydroxybenzodiazepine with a dialkylaminosulfur trifluoride as follows: ##STR2## where R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are a primary alkyl group of 1-4 carbons or taken together are --(CH.sub.2).sub.4 -- or --(CH.sub.2).sub.5.